Do you like the flavor of vanilla in your ice cream? Or the cinnamon flavor in your cookies? Or the flavor of black pepper in your soup? They all make your food tastier, and even healthier. But, you may ask, what do vanilla, cinnamon, and black pepper have in common? They taste and look different, and they are added to different food. Vanilla, cinnamon, the black pepper, are all spices. Do you know what spices are? And do you know some other spices than these?
As you already guessed, in this lesson we are going to learn about SPICES. We will discuss:
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Some common spices are cinnamon, ginger powder, paprika, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and many more. Just a bit of spice can transform everyday ingredients into an appetizing and aromatic meal. Spices contribute rich flavor to food without adding any calories, fat, sugar, or salt.
You may think of salt now, and ask yourself, is it a spice? Even if salt is a worldwide popular seasoning, it is not a spice. Salt is an organic mineral.
It is difficult to tell the spices. They are commonly mismatched with herbs. Spices are not the same as herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Herbs are typically thought of as non-woody plants. Some examples are parsley, mint, basil, and oregano. These, too, are used for food flavoring, just like the spices!
But sometimes the same thing can be classified as a herb and a spice. Like the ginger! Ginger is listed as an herb in many culinary recipes while others classify it as a spice. Some call dried ginger powder a spice while calling the fresh root version an herb.
Now we will take a close look into some of the spices, learn some of them and see what are they usually used for.
Black pepper
Black pepper, nicknamed 'black gold' and the 'king of spices", is the most important and widely consumed spice in the world.
This spice alone accounts for 35% of the world's trade in spices. It is no surprise then that black pepper is known as the 'king of the spices. ' Overall, the characteristic flavor of black peppercorns is spicy, woody, warm, and herbaceous.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavoring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savory dishes, breakfast cereals, snack foods, tea, and traditional foods. It has been used as an ingredient throughout history, dating back as far as Ancient Egypt. It used to be rare and valuable and was regarded as a gift fit for kings.
It is native to the Caribbean, South America, and Southeast Asia. The flavor of cinnamon is sweet and woody but has a slight citrusy note too. The most common way cinnamon is used as Cinnamon powder and mostly for cakes, cookies, and desserts, but it can be used in many other foods.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a traditional Indian spice with a powerful compound called curcumin, which is the primary bioactive substance in turmeric. It has anti-inflammatory properties. That is why this spice is famed for its health benefits, especially its anti-inflammatory properties.
Turmeric has a warm, bitter taste and is frequently used to flavor or color curry powders, mustards, butter, and cheeses. People usually thought of curry when hearing turmeric. But are these the same? Turmeric and curry powder are different spices, but both are commonly used in South Asian and Indian cooking. While turmeric is a single ingredient, curry powder is a mix of spices, and yes, turmeric is one of them.
Paprika
Paprika is a ground spice made from a mixture of dried peppers in the Capsicum annum family, including hot chili peppers, cayenne peppers, poblano peppers, Aleppo peppers, sweet peppers, and others. This vibrant red spice varies in flavor, heat levels, and color depending on the type of peppers used to make the paprika.
This spice adds vibrant color to any dish. You'll find it in everything from barbecue sauce, prepared rubs, and marinades to Italian sausage, potato casseroles, cream sauces, and egg dishes.
Cloves
Cloves are the dried flowers of the clove tree. Native to the Spice Islands near China, cloves spread throughout Europe and Asia during the late Middle Ages as an important part of local cuisine. Today, cloves remain an important spice that gives many dishes that special kick.
Cloves can be used whole or ground. Cloves contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals, so using whole or ground cloves to add flavor to your food can provide some important nutrients. This intensely aromatic spice has a subtly sweet flavor that lends plenty of warmth to any dish. They are usually added to meat, sauces, and rice dishes, but can be used along with cinnamon and nutmeg in sweet dishes or drinks such as mulled wine.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg is the seed of the Myristica fragrans tree that's dried, ground, and used as a spice in many dishes.
The fleshy arils surrounding the nutmeg seed are the source of the spice mace. It's added to sweet and savory dishes. Whole or ground, nutmeg tastes nutty, warm, and slightly sweet.
Ginger
Ginger is one of the most used spices in the world and comes in numerous forms, including fresh, dried, pickled, preserved, crystallized, candied, and powdered/ground. This spice is commonly associated with wintry baked goods, like gingerbread.
Ginger is a slightly sweet spice with a peppery bite. Ginger has been traditionally used to treat upset stomach and motion sickness. Ginger tea is often recommended for people having nausea and digestive issues.
Vanilla
Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily obtained from pods (the outer shell) of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla. Vanilla is a stunningly complex and subtle spice. The characteristic flavor of vanilla comes from the aromatic compound “vanillin” which is described as tasting like a marshmallow.
The flavor of vanilla is distinctively sweet and perfumed with a hint of smoke. In vanilla pods of exceptionally high quality, the crystallized vanillin may be visible on the surface in the form of tiny white needles. Vanilla is the most widely used spice in baking.
Safron
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the "saffron crocus". Saffron has a strong, exotic aroma and a bitter taste and is used to color and flavor many dishes.
Nicknamed red gold, saffron is highly prized for its rich taste, and it is considered the most expensive spice by weight. It is so expensive because it is an extremely labor-intensive crop. Crocus Sativa, or the saffron crocus, flowers in the fall. Each flower has three tiny, threadlike stigmas in the center. These must be removed by hand and carefully toasted to dry. Actually saffron (Crocus sativa) is a spice that is worth more than its weight in gold.
There are many properties in spices that make them unique, such as their aroma but amongst all, their chemical characteristics allow spices to be used as preservatives in food. Due to several chemical compounds, spices present antimicrobial activity and inhibit the growth of pathogens in meat and other foods.
A little interesting observation. If we take a look at the cuisines of the world what will we notice? Cultures that live closer to the equator tend to use more spices in their traditional cuisine, while those who live further away tend to prefer their dishes a little blander. The warmer it is, it seems, the spicier (or full of spice) the food is. You may ask why is this? The reason more spices are used in hot climates is because of their antibacterial properties that rid foods of pathogens and thereby contribute to people's health, longevity, and reproductive success.
Spices have many benefits for our health. Research is showing that spices contribute to health just as much as fruits and vegetables. Spices provide anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial as well as anti-viral properties. It is evident that frequent consumption of spicy foods was also linked to a lower risk of death from respiratory system diseases, cancer, or ischemic heart.
